Piano Scores
by That'sMyCupcake
Summary: Ianto finds himself pulled into a time and place not quite his own, but is that truly what it is? Janto.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- I do not own Torchwood in any which way. I just love it. (well loved seasons 1 and 2 and shouted at any Gwack moments *shudder* sorry Gwen stay with Rhys the poor sod) so yeah. FANMADE!

Piano Scores

_The sound of a grand piano and the gentle shuffle and clips of dancing echoed within the tall walls of the ballroom, a chuckle or giggle and the generous sip of beverages, the familiar ting of glasses and celebrations. The swish of elegant dresses and stiff suits... _

A young male woke from his slumber and wary of his sleeping partner rose from the small bed, shaking the scores of a piano out of his ears like water as he searched for yesterdays clothing. A content humming from the bed signalled his companions break into consciousness.

"Jack," His whispered gently, "it's time to work." And with that he made his way up the ladder that led away from the nest like bunker, mindful of the fifth step up which had snapped in one of Jacks more enthusiastic occasions and had yet to be replaced. A quick shower later found Ianto Jones dressed and ready for work long before his colleagues would ever set forth in the hub. Moving gracefully to his desk he began flicking through the file he had constructed the previous week, five weevil attacks in the last month, four fatalities, seven successful retconnings and four empty coffins. He sighed; it had taken most his spare time to clear up after those, writing fake death certificates, creating believable stories. Sometimes he thought it might be easier to spread rumour of a serial killer and let the public believe what they wish.

Warm arms encircled him from behind, pulling him back away from his work, trying to untangle his tie from his shirt and neck.

"Anything I can do to help sir?"

"A coffee would be nice; you know the others won't be in for a while?"

"And yet there are many tasks to do, why don't you finished off last month's paper work? Then I'll make you a coffee." He smirked and the Captains face switched from luring to defeated and sulked off to his office, feet dragging and head low.

_A drink was thrust under his nose, champagne he realised, following the dainty hand that held the glass to a thin arm and a frail woman, dressed in a loose fitting garnet dress._

"_Are you going to daydream all day sir?"_

"Are you going to daydream all day?" He glanced up quickly to see Tosh placing her handbag on her desk, sending him worried looks. His eyes flicking down to his wrist watch, half an hour had passed? In a daydream?

"I'm fine Tosh, just daydreaming about a weevil free week." He smiled as the sirens sounded and Owen and Gwen entered the hub, giggling to themselves. So they were still messing around, Ianto mused. Sending Tosh a look to make sure the technical genius was ok, he made his way up the stairs to the small hub kitchenette to put on a other batch of coffee. Listening carefully he could hear Jack stroll down from his office, his heavy work boots clanging against the metal steps and greet the rest of his workers enthusiastically.

_A glass shattered, champagne flowing over the polished wood flooring. No one in the large hall appeared to have noticed, a blip in the violinist playing the only disturbance. His hands were cold, his hands pale and a faint blue hue. Snow sparkled on the large windows._

"_May I have this dance?"The woman in the red dress appeared at his side again. And he found himself swept in the dance. Hundreds of men and women dancing and circling making him dizzy. Laughing and giggling._

"_What are you doing here!" The woman was now gone, replaced by a tall angry man, green eyes flashing he observed Ianto. "How did you get in here?"_

He flinched backwards desperate to separated himself, a harsh cry escaping him as his hip banged against the kitchen counter and the coffee pot in his hand falling and shattering, smashing scolding coffee over his leather shoes and soaking his pressed trousers.

"_How did you get in here?" he was pushed up against the wall but the eyes were no longer angry, but curious. "I did not invite you here."_

"_I-I-I don't know," the Welshmen stammered. "I want to leave!"_

"Ianto! Ianto, you git wake up." The slight tapping on his cheek turned into a harsh slap, and with hazy eyes, he realised he was on the kitchen floor, lent against the cabinets with Owen and Jack looming over him. "You fainted," the doctor murmured, slipping an arm around Ianto's back and with Jacks help pulled the man to his feet. Ianto accepted the help, trying to ease the shaking from his legs and the pounding from his head he allowed to other men to steer him towards the medical bay, where he gratefully laid down and barely listening to Jack and Owens conversation, fell asleep.

"He's just tired Jack." The doctor murmured watching the captain keep a tight vigil round the teaboy's bed. Ianto had been asleep for over an hour now and showed no signs of waking anytime soon, but health wise was fine as far as Owens doctorate could say. He moved past Jacks bulk to place a hand on his colleague's forehead. "He's a bit cold, I'll fetch another blanket." His face crinkled slightly in worry, unlike the Teaboy to sleep on the job.

"_No-one's ever found us before..." _


	2. Chapter 2

"_No-one's ever found us before." The man in front of Ianto gave a half hearted smile and took a generous swig from his glass. Since their quick and in Ianto's case back-bruising meeting they found themselves in a small side room of the main hall._

"_Where is this?"Ianto asked, listening in on the band in the next room while inspecting the young man in front of his. He was older by Ianto by perhaps five years, not much, and was dressed up in a full tux and his dark hair was combed back neatly and his face clean shaven. _

"_We've never been sure before, every now and then the number of us increases and we continue dancing, it's a peaceful existence, most of them don't even realise. If they do they quickly forget."_

"_And you?" Ianto questioned. "Why do you know and not them?" He felt uneasy trusting this new stranger but the man seemed just as confused as he was. "And how did you know I wasn't... a new person?"_

"_Your clothes," he smirked, "while smartly dressed you don't exactly fit in." He gestured to his own stiff tux. "And I don't know, perhaps I have forgotten many times before and I will probably forget again, but there's not much one can do but dance and have a good time I suppose."_

Owen wrapped yet another blanket around the Teaboy, the temperature in the Hub had already been raised and now Tosh and Gwen were staring down with worried eyes at their unconscious friend. Over the last three hours Ianto's temperature had continued to drop, slowly at first but it seemed the longer he slept the colder he got and Owen couldn't for the life of him work out how to wake him. Jack had decided to take the best pro-action response to the situation and now lay with Ianto under the blankets, looking a little bit over heated but desperate to aid his lover.

"_I'm so cold." Shivered Ianto, rubbing his hands together desperate to create some heat._

"_Here let me." The man gently took Ianto's hands into his own, blowing a hot buff of air onto them before continuing to rub them._

"_I don't even know your name." Ianto realised, he suddenly felt warmer and the world around him seemed to fade out._

"_It's Thomas."_

Jack squirmed under the heat of the blankets, and pulled Ianto more securely into his arms. A small murmur from the Welshman caused him to jump slightly.

"Owen! He's waking up!" Turning back to his partner he was relieved to see bleary blue eyes staring back at him. "Ianto, thank god, I was so worried."

"Okay Teaboy, temperature time," Ianto had no time to protest before the cold instrument was in his mouth. "Warming up, want to tell us what exactly that was."

"I-I don't know, it was cold and there was a ballroom, I wasn't meant to be there and there was this man. I-I think they were trapped." He sighed, bowing his head. "I can't remember."

Owen followed Ianto with a sigh of his own followed with a yawn. Everything seemed fine, bit of a bad dream but health wise... "Alright mate, time to get home, you need a good night's sleep and I'll give you a full check up tomorrow just in case."

"Are you sure that's wise Owen?" Gwen's voice sounded from the top of the medical bay and Ianto realised with a jolt of self consciousness that everyone had seen his moment of weakness. Tosh and Gwen were both staring down at him and neither looked in a rush to move. Owen was packing away his array of medical equipment, his usual mess of paper work long forgotten and destined for Ianto's to-do pile.

"N-no, no! You don't realise! It wasn't a dream... or my imagination. I was somewhere else!" He panicked, the machine to his right beginning to beep rapidly and Jack moved to hold him securely at the shoulders, comfortingly soft but a firm grip to steady him.

"Calm down Ianto, you've been here all along." Gwen had now made her way down to his side, placing and unwanted and surprisingly cold hand upon his own, causing him to finch away. Shakily he moved out of Jacks half embrace to stand on coltish legs.

"O-okay, I'm okay," He murmured "I just need to sleep well I guess."

"Yeah well, use a heating blanket, will ya? You sleep like a block of ice, I know you welsh are used to the cold but you're still warm blooded Teaboy." Owen turned away from his patient, seemingly uncaring as to Ianto's change of mind and was now focused on getting home or most likely to a pub.

Gwen had also spotted the chance to escape the hub while the night was young and abandoned her role as carer and rushed to grab her handbag and coat, pushing today's paperwork into a messy heap before she and Owen disappeared out the hub door.

Jack sighed from his post, helping Ianto back into his suit jacket. "You may as well head home Tosh," he addressed the thin woman, still standing at the top of the stairs, chewing her lip in worry. Her shoes clipping elegantly as she made her way down towards the two men.

"Are you sure Jack, you don't need an extra hand?"

"Nah Tosh, we've had enough excitement for the day, I'll just drop Ianto off home and call it a day. I'll call if anything pops up as usual." The patent disarming but tight Jack Harkness smile was firmly in place and she felt no room for argument.

"Okay. Ianto, I'll pop round tomorrow morning and pick you up okay? I think you should take a rest from driving for now." And with a hug each and a kiss to Ianto's cheek she was gone, the door blaring out her exit like a fanfare.

"You sure you don't want me to stay with you tonight?" Jack questioned from his post leant against Ianto's door frame, which conveniently prevented Ianto from closing the door in his face.

"I'm sure Jack," he lied. Of course he wanted Jack to stay, but Jack would make him sleep, and Ianto didn't dare fall asleep. A quick peck on the lips and Jack was also gone, albeit not by his own choice and Ianto was left in the quiet of his home. He quickly traded his suit for his most uncomfortable, (but according to Jack, highly sexy) jeans and a t-shirt, a quick look in the bathroom cupboard supplied him with the coffee tablets left over from the late nights spent looking after Lisa and with the strongest coffee he could brew he sat down at his kitchen table, prepared to wait out the night.

Tosh waited patiently outside Ianto's flat door, where she had been for the last ten minutes. Listening in on her friend she could hear him rushing about. Suddenly the door was wrenched away from her face causing her to stumble forward, looking up she was surprised to see a less than normal Ianto, he cheeks peppered in blood where shaving had obviously been rushed and his suit crinkled, however he seemed happy, if not energetic and his smile was mostly apologetic and only slightly strained.

"Sorry Tosh, got distracted." And wait... was that a giggle?

"Ianto... are you wearing yesterday's suit?" he appeared shocked by this revelation and quickly disappeared behind the door again. Pushing her way in Tosh quietly allowed herself into the flat. The TV was still on, muted on the BBC morning news and the heating was on full blast.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Tosh." Ianto now stood, hopping slightly from one foot to the other, wearing his pink valentine shirt accompanied by, and clashing horribly with a bright red tie with white hearts. Looking guiltily down at the tie he shrugged, picking the edges with trembling hands. "I-it was a present from Jack."

Placing her handbag on the coffee table, Tosh made her way over to the young man and took his hands into hers. "Ianto you're shaking, I think you should stay home and rest."

"I'm fine! Ready to work, lots of paperwork today." He whirled around to pick up his shoes... and promptly threw up.

Tosh sighed, pulling out her mobile from her jacket and pressing down on speed dial 3.

It wasn't long till Jack and Owen arrived, Tosh had already set Ianto up with a bucket and a glass of water and had cleaned up the mess. The red tie had been removed and was now slung over the back of the sofa.

"Teaboy quite how much coffee did you drink?"

"I don't know." He muttered, the energy gone with the contents of the archivists stomach. "I lost count after... 17. I didn't want to sleep." Jack cuddled Ianto against himself, going between reminding Ianto to drink and swapping anxious looks with both Tosh and Owen over Ianto's head.

"Alright Ianto let's get back to the hub and you can have a nice nap while we work okay?"

"You don't understand." He turned in his seat to face Jack. "Please Jack. I keep going somewhere else. I know it's waiting for me, I can feel it!" He could; with the caffeine high came the fall and Ianto could feel sleep edging into his mind, a piano score trickling into the edge of his consciousness.

"_Ianto, are you alright?" _The cold creeping in.

"No!" He shouted, startling those around him. The archivist tried to dart from his lover's arms but was held back as a wave of dizziness hit him. The piano and friendly banter were louder now in his ears as his headache worsened, the world swirled under his feet and the cold set in.


	3. Chapter 3

_Ianto refused to open his eyes, he knew what he would see, the music was lighter and muffled and as the wind ruffled his shirt he became aware to the lack of roof above him and he shivered; acknowledging the frosted concrete against his back. _

"_Ianto?" He startled, wrenching himself to his feet and stumbled into the solid form named Thomas. Cold arms wrapped around him and Ianto felt his remaining warmth leave him. He was faintly aware that it was raining wherever they were; droplets of water dripping off his nose and acting as tears. "Let's go inside, Ianto." He was guided to a small door leading to dangerously steep stairs. His grip on Thomas as his guide never once relaxing until he found himself once again in the small side room of the ballroom. He was vaguely aware of the removal of his suit and being pushed and manipulated into warmer, dry clothing. A tux. His shoes were replaced and his face gently wiped with a soft handkerchief_

"_What happened?" He asked as a glass of bubbling liquid was pushed into his cold hand._

"_You're asking me, one minute you were here then you vanished, I looked around and found you on the roof!" Thomas stated, his own bow tie now unravelled and hanging over one shoulder and his jacket unbuttoned._

"_I think I may be becoming...stuck here Thomas." _

"_I know Ianto."_

"Yan, Yannie please wake up."

"Yannie?"

"Shut up Owen." The group were gathered on and around Ianto's bed watching the youngest member of the team sleep fitfully. Gwen had been called and was no doubt pacing the hub with the ferocity of a weevil, while making sure the rift was stable in their absence. Jack and Owen were struggling to heat the Welshman and Tosh was quickly sent to reheat a water bottle.

"What's happening Jack." The captain startled, removing his gaze from his lover and looking up to meet the disgruntled face of the hubs medical officer. The man was paler than usual and was absently chewing on the end of one of his various medical tools, he had every medical system; human, alien and cross dimensional packed into the small space around the Welshman, scanning him constantly. But he knew he was out of his depth, this wasn't medical, this was something Torchwood and everyone was looking to the Captain for a solution.

_Ianto leant against the other man, trying desperately not to cry, not to sob at the idea of becoming trapped here, like everyone else, like...Thomas. _

"_It's not so bad Ianto, okay the music is a little repetitive but with you around I know it won't be bad" _

"_Wait, wait, something is wrong" Ianto pulled himself away from the taller man. "You're wrong!"_

"_Come on Yan, what do you mean by that?" The man smiled; inching back into Ianto's personal space. _

"_Don't call me that!" he panicked, this wasn't right. "You! I'm not the odd one out here, you are! Where did this tux even come from? You...you know everything about this place, the extra rooms, the rooftop!" His voice rose in volume._

"_Come on Ianto, I've been here a long time."_

"_Exactly, you said people remembered but it's only you who doesn't fit in with the atmosphere, they're all dancing, chatting and getting drinks. You stand there and watch! You never snapped out of it because you've always been an observer!" The fear adding a strained pitch to his cry. He rushed back to the ballroom, grabbing the first pair of dancers he saw._

"_Excuse me, excuse me!" He pulled them apart. "Please speak to me... please!" Another couple, dancing stopped and staring blankly at him until the spell he had broken clicked back into place and they moved around him and the dance continued, the music repeating over and over, the dancers spinning in front of him until a cold hand clamped on his shoulder._

"_You won't get a response Yan. You're stuck here, just like them." The man in front of him was no longer the Thomas from before, but aged, a hint of insanity twinkling in the dark eyes. His smile was disarming and handsome, but the smirk underneath showed he was anything but. _

"_No...No I'm not, I've left before!" This seemed to stop Thomas, giving the Ianto the answers he needed. He could escape; Thomas had no hold on him, yet. He ran dodging past the wall of dancers to reach where he remembered the stairs to the roof were and he could hear Thomas following at a slower, confident pace. _

"_Jack! Jack! Help!" He banged his shoulders against the door, the old lock banging against the wood with each hit until it gave way and the door swung open on unstable hinge;, a warm, aggressive wind flooded overhead and Ianto was left to fall._

"JACK!" The monitors exploded into a chaos of noise, and the team appeared, hearts racing to where Ianto was struggling to remove all the wires from his chest, mildly surprised to find Jacks coat around him as he forced himself to his feet and into the chest of one Jack Harkness himself.

"Ianto, you have to lie down, you've been out for hours, a day even, you can't just stand up!" But Ianto was taking none of it, instead choosing to stumble up the medical bay stairs, tripping on the third and shouting up towards the others.

"Tosh! Tosh I need you find every ballroom in Cardiff, hell the UK, abandoned or not and find out if any of them were owned or run by someone named Thomas!" He was bleeding now, from the knee skinned on the concrete step and sluggishly from the various IV and drug ports he had ripped out in his haste. He was quickly pulled up by Jack and Owen and Ianto found himself in an odd and squashed embrace, until only Jack was holding him up.

"No- one by the name Thomas owning a ballroom or anything like, but there was a dancer... in the early 20th century, hanged himself in the local ballroom after his wife was killed?"

"Close enough," Ianto panted, Jack's warmth was nothing compared to cold around him, seeping into his bones and freezing his breathes. "Jack... you have to go to where Tosh has found, I'll be there... I think."

"Ianto mate, what are you talking about" The doctors face filled Ianto's vision but Ianto had no more time. Pushing past him, he grabbed Jack by the braces are pulled him into what he hoped would not be their last kiss and let the cold take him.


End file.
